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Game
Game2023
Terra Nil
Developer Free Lives, Clockwork Acorn
Terra Nil is a strategy video game developed by Free Lives and published by Devolver Digital. The game was released for Android, iOS, and Windows on March 28, 2023; the mobile ports were published through Netflix Games. Ports for macOS, Linux, and the Nintendo Switch were released later in 2023. While the gameplay focuses on placing buildings, as is common in city-building games, Terra Nil is the reverse – focusing… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
462 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon, Lemmy) · newest Nov 4, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
72
Fresh
220 positive · 85 negative
95% range 67–77%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 220 | 85 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 51 | 5 | 69 |
| Mastodon * | 4 | 0 | 25 |
| Lemmy * | 0 | 0 | 3 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
4,643 of 5,397 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
70% recommend · 180 yes, 77 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 257 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (7,798 of 8,927 positive).
Players praise the satisfying environmental restoration concept and beautiful art style. [1][2][3] Many find the game relaxing yet challenging, requiring careful planning. [4][5][6] Some reviewers criticize the mandatory photo mode as tedious and disruptive. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [7]
I first tried this game way back in beta, when it still had pixel graphics. I fell in love with the idea: cleanse and restore a barren and polluted planet to restore the flora and fauna there. And for the 1.0 release, that's exactly what I got. However, in one of the more recent updates, the devs inexplicably decided to change this successful formula, and added a bizarre mechanic, where you have to create ideal …
- [13]
Terra Nil hates its players. A new mechanic is introduced every map, and that mechanic often breaks the way that you have been taught to expect things to work, and for no obvious reason. The new mechanic is inevitably poorly explained, and requires refined sequencing over time as you fill out the map. The specific details required to achieve acceptable sequencing are only revealed progressively, meaning that you can …
- [1]
This is a calming experience. It's intensely satisfying to have your progress lead to life blooming in a polluted land. It's not crunchy, which allows for a chill experience. With fantastic art direction with regards to the environment and rejuvenation progress. P.S. For the factorio players. Imagine what if the Factory Must Degrowth
- [2]
A fun and calming puzzle game. Don't expect a city builder. PROS: - The whole concept of recovering wastelands feels really pleasing. - The art style is fantastic. Seriously, the game is so so pretty. - Lots of options to increase or decrease the difficulty. - Different ecosystems and buildings add an okay amount of variety. - Heatwave update added much needed extra content if you're buying full price. CONS: - …
- [3]
'Terra nil' apparently means "nothing on earth" in Latin. Well, time to bring back the 'something'. the good + The idea behind it. No combat, no time limit. Hard to call it 'cozy' as you think of the ecological destruction that took place there. You can still see the remains of the cities, streets and toxic radioactive barrels. On the other hand that only reinforces our important goal - bringing back various …
Summarised from 34 of the 390 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 9, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
70% of the 257 Steam reviewers we collected recommend Terra Nil. The complaint that keeps coming up: mandatory photo mode is tedious and disruptive. Deal-breaker or nitpick?
Critics, per Wikipedia
Terra Nil received "generally positive" reviews on Metacritic. PC Gamer said that the game is "a consistently relaxing, satisfying experience" that does not aim to supplant established, complex games like Civilization or Anno. Hardcore Gamer praised its "simple yet incredibly fun gameplay, striking and gorgeous visuals, and a nice level of challenge". Rock Paper Shotgun found the reverse city-builder puzzle elements to be "an unavoidable punishment", though Hardcore Gamer singled them out as the game's "most clever and unique hook". Criticizing the game's focus on "chasing numbers", Rock Paper Shotgun's reviewer felt that the game's later stages ruin its relaxing mood. In contrast, The…
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 462 · most liked firstI first tried this game way back in beta, when it still had pixel graphics. I fell in love with the idea: cleanse and restore a barren and polluted planet to restore the flora and fauna there. And for the 1.0 release, that's exactly what I got. However, in one of the more recent updates, the devs inexplicably decided to change this successful formula, and added a bizarre mechanic, where you have to create ideal habitats for the wildlife, somehow trying to make the land perfect, and then snap…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Terra Nil is unambiguously the most satisfying game I've ever played. Just such a fist pumping triumph to design a better world full of happy animals.
positive · AI labelView post →Few games feel quite as satisfying as the environmental restoration game Terra Nil. It's calming, gorgeous, and fun. There's a delight around every corner and quite a challenging puzzle kind enough to let you iterate. HIGHLY RECOMMEND in an era like this. #games
positive · AI labelView post →They're got REALLY good range. They also made environmentalist puzzle-strategy game Terra Nil.
neutral · AI labelView post →Mandatory photo mode absolutely kills the flow & the fun of the game.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Maybe check out other stuff they've made? I did that with Devolver Digital, I liked the company & wanted to support them but didn't like their most recent game, so I looked at other stuff they'd published and found Terra Nil which I love. No More Robots have lots of games to choose from
positive · AI labelView post →Yet another "This game used to be great, but charged itself fundamentally and now cannot be recommended." I'm not sure what's up with devs these days feeling the need to reinvent the wheel. It works. It's great. Roll with it. Each mission used to be a relatively short puzzle. Running out of money or not being able to achieve some bonus objective because of how you decided to go about things was a very real possibility, which is great. Then you cleaned up in a nice, tidy way, and moved on to…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Terra Nil gets better performance and Linux support https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2023/10/terra-nil-gets-better-performance-and-linux-support/ #TerraNil #PCGaming #Linux #SteamDeck
neutral · AI labelView post →Requiring players to play photo mode at the end of the level to progress in the game is a bad addition. This needs to be changed to an optional objective.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I am reluctantly leaving a bad review for this. I took several months away from the game, played other things, and then came back to it to make my final decision. I cannot recommend this, at this time. When the Heatwave update was a released I was pretty excited for it. I was hoping for more content after I beat all the levels and 100% the game. However, with the new update you are now required to take 10 pictures of animals and the environment to complete the stage. While this isn't a…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Nice! When reviewed Terra Nil at launch, my only real issue with it is that it never gave its ideas long enough to properly explore them. They've released several updates since that fix exactly that. Great little puzzle-strategy game and an easy recommendation.
positive · AI labelView post →Environmental strategy game Terra Nil gets gamepad support and Steam Deck Verified #TerraNil #Gaming #IndieGames #SteamDeck #Linux
neutral · AI labelView post →new game ! not quite done. soon. sooooon yes it's Terra Nil meets Blocksum. Shut up
neutral · AI labelView post →This game has an interesting concept that I found interesting when it came out. Most strategy building games have you dealing with the negative effects of pollution and mass expansion as a tacked on after thought that you deal with only after hours/days of investment on one map. Terra Nil makes it your initial goal right away to return the map to a more pristine state. It's a wonderful concept and I have been playing this since the first versions came out. The reason I mention this fact is…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Terra Nil hates its players. A new mechanic is introduced every map, and that mechanic often breaks the way that you have been taught to expect things to work, and for no obvious reason. The new mechanic is inevitably poorly explained, and requires refined sequencing over time as you fill out the map. The specific details required to achieve acceptable sequencing are only revealed progressively, meaning that you can be a significant distance into the map before realising that you’ve done…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great concept, I had fun with the game till I found out I have to deal with photo mode on every single level.. Suddenly it went from relaxing to annoying chore..It's tedious, not fun.. Wanted to refund but I was over 2 hours. Uninstalling.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Announcing COMBOLANDS, a deckbuilder where your cards are buildings and the map is your deck. From the designer of Terra Nil! 🃏Stack combos 🏛️Grow your settlement 💥Break the game Demo out now! store.steampowered.com/app/4075620/...
neutral · AI labelView post →The game isn't terrible, but it's not great either. If it were longer I'd probably recommend it with caveats, but for the price that game is incredibly short. I have 100%ed the game. I have roughly 12 hours of play time and a good chunk of that was when I left the game idle accidentally. It feels incomplete. You have 16 total maps, but huge parts of the planet are just missing, and it makes it feel weirdly empty. The screenshot they show of the planet map in the marketing materials really wants…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I loved the base game and if I could somehow cut-out some of the new "features" to go back to the basics, I would. If I had a stressful day at work I could come home and play this to help decompress. Great audio, pleasant gameplay, overall great time. Basically, this was the game I played when I didn't want to deal with stress. But, someone decided to make the photo-mode mandatory to complete each of the missions. So now I'm stressing about each little animal's sliders not being…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →🌲DOUBLE NATURE THEMED INDIE GAME DAY!🌲 I'm checking out the 1.0 update for The Wandering Village (and I'm giving away codes!) and the new Terra Nil DLC! I love both of these games, huge thanks to @strayfawnstudio.bsky.social & @devolverdigital.com for the codes 🖤 ✨ twitch.tv/elliejoypanic ✨
positive · AI labelView post →Designer of Terra Nil reveals Combolands, a deckbuilder where cards are buildings and the map is your deck #Combolands #IndieGames #Gaming #PCGaming
neutral · AI labelView post →Free Lives (Terra Nil, Broforce) released a demo for Side Effects that's Buckshot Roulette meets Big Pharma #Side #Effects #IndieGames #Demo #PCGaming
neutral · AI labelView post →This game is very pretty, very serene, but WAYYYY to frustrating to play. It's not a strategy game, it's a PUZZLE game. You will get a random assortment of buildings to construct on each map, and your job is to figure out how the hell you'll be able to restore the environment with what you have in three phases. Reduce Toxic ground and restore grass, then establish 3 keystone biomes, then deconstruct your buildings and ensure the environment is ideal for the wildlife. PROBLEM. You will only…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Too frustrating for a relaxing game. Remove the photo conditions — this mechanic just doesn’t work.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I wish I could recommend this game, because I've spent a bunch of time playing it, enjoyed it, but there is a game breaking bug with the lava levels that has existed for months and months and has not been addressed. Trees catch fire even after lava has been cooled, making it exceedingly hard to get the required amount of forest. The photo taking is similarly annoying. Just let me fix the environment. Panning around trying to get a decent shot of animals is annoying. To the developers: Yes I…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Environmental strategy game Terra Nil gets gamepad support and Steam Deck Verified https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2026/03/environmental-strategy-game-terra-nil-gets-gamepad-support-and-steam-deck-verified/ #TerraNil #Gaming #IndieGames #SteamDeck #Linux
neutral · AI labelView post →TLDR: This is a strange game. On one hand, it's not challenging. But, on the other, it's not relaxing either. So, its sits in a strange void where it is not the game for you to relax nor to test yourself. It is somewhat cute, though. But that's it. Longer explanation: The game has only one resource and it is pretty easy to come by. In the first part of each stage, it is indeed a limit. You have to pace yourself so as not run out of it, but it isn't hard to keep track. However, on the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I used to really like this game. The photo mode completely ruined it for me, though. It's extremely finicky and poorly explained. I recommend holding off on buying this game until it is either removed or becomes optional. If it is, I'll edit this review to reflect that!
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Random game rec but I forgot how amazing Terra Nil is (there's a new update) - if you like resource management + puzzle games and healing the planet/ecology - check it out. It's really wonderful 😭
positive · AI labelView post →They ruined it! This was an awesome game, but the latest update makes it basically unplayable for me. I play games like this to relax when I'm exhausted, with the difficulty turned off. But you can't turn off the new requirements for the photos, and they're difficult! So I guess they decided it's for "gamers only" or something.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Mini roguelike citybuilder 'Combolands' from Terra Nil designer launches August 24. Combolands is a mini citybuilding roguelike! Place buildings, stack combos, and master deep strategy in short bursts.
neutral · AI labelView post →I'm so happy to finally announce Combolands, my first game since Terra Nil. Wishlists would be much appreciated :)
neutral · AI labelView post →Happy #TurnBasedThursday everyone :) This is such a cool initiative! We just released a new update to our reverse city building game, Terra Nil yesterday. Currently 60% off on Steam Check it out: store.steampowered.com/news/app/159... #gamedev #indiedev
neutral · AI labelView post →That game already exists, it's called Terra Nil and [is on sale right now](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1593030/Terra_Nil/).
neutral · AI labelView post →An eco-automation game: Satisfactory rather than Terra Nil: you're not filling a bucket, you're achieving a flow over time Uniquely, automation that can get away from you via feedback loops, from biome expansion and population growth to trophic cascades and resource deserts. Everything in balance.
neutral · AI labelView post →The stupid puzzlework with the animal pictures at the end of each map totally kills this game for me, wish i would have saw this **** before i bought it. Sadly, i bought it in a not-on-steam sale, so refund for me. Such an unnecessary annoyance in an otherwise nice game.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'll end my environmentalism ranting on a positive. Shoutouts to "Terra Nil" for being a game that walks the tightrope between being wholesome and comfortable and cute, while still being protectively optimistic and positive.
positive · AI labelView post →Terra Nil is the name, greening out is the game. Wait. Terra Nil is also the game. twitch.tv/loadingreadyrun
neutral · AI labelView post →So far I like the game, but I can't give a good review because of Photo Mode. All you have to do is take some pictures of happy animals. Sounds easy enough. But there's always that pair of animals that REFUSE to go past adequate for some reason. I would spend so much time and effort just trying to make them happy but the meter wont even move up a tick. This process is tedious and infuriating. And I would find myself being more angry than actually relaxed. I hope the developers get wiser and…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm really enjoying the game Terra Nil I got on Steam recently. It's a terraforming game, and it feels good to play something where the goal is to restore and create, especially in these times.
positive · AI labelView post →Decent game but it's really easy to softlock yourself and manditory photography of animals to beat the level is not what i'm looking for here personally. More of a puzzle game than cozy city builder
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I don't know what reality I enter when playing citybuilder games of any kind like I saw my Terra Nil vod and for a second was very confused what game it was and then surprised that's how it looked like I played it for SIX HOURS
neutral · AI labelView post →Is 'Terra Nil' appropriate? It's a city-builder style game about reforming wastelands.
neutral · AI labelView post →Completely derailing each puzzle at the end of the level with a mandatory camera mode was a bold choice. 0/10 absolute ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Short: Highly recommended if you want a casual nature focused game that's mostly point and click with minimal brain use. Even the most challenging maps aren't that stressful once you figure it out. The Long: Very good, very casual, very cozy game. While fairly straight forward, you can put yourself in a pickle if you restore the regions wrong or mess up on a step. Easy enough to start that specific map mission over. So just be aware of what you are doing! Solid 15+ hours of gameplay…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I wanted to like this, but as a supposedly relaxing thing, it actually pissed me off more times than it didn't. Imo the gameplay could use a number of improvements. A lot of choices are one-way and you can only realize they were wrong if you play to the end. In addition, you cannot save in the middle of a section, which makes it doubly frustrating to miss something, as you need to start over the entire thing. There is no doubt in my mind that people playing this will also get very annoyed at…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game has wrecked my grades. Every time I return from the toilet, I find my non-gamer wife to have occupied my computer to play this game and I join her instead of doing assignments.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game reroutes my neurons like its some kind of super computer being forced to solve for 2+2=4 I wouldn’t say Terra Nil is hard, the game just wants you to plan things out, and sometimes take leaps of faith that everything is going to work out. You gotta do steps A. B. C. ,but the game just plops step A in front of you, and you have to guess what B and C are going to be. The results, at times, are that you have to restart the level 5 times because you are missing the piece in step C,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I liked it very much in the beginning. But when I got back into it a few weeks ago, there is now a mandatory photo-task and the requirements for those photos are not really clear and it completely destroys the vibe that led me to buy it back when it came out.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If anyone is looking for a nice relaxing computer game to play, Terra Nil is perfect. It's a solarpunk-y strategy/puzzle game where you use various mechanics to restore blighted ecosystems. Watching things green up and animals return is indescribably satisfying.
positive · AI labelView post →This is a calming experience. It's intensely satisfying to have your progress lead to life blooming in a polluted land. It's not crunchy, which allows for a chill experience. With fantastic art direction with regards to the environment and rejuvenation progress. P.S. For the factorio players. Imagine what if the Factory Must Degrowth
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Unfortunately, I can't recommend Terra Nil. I like the premise and I enjoy taking a barren wasteland and bringing it to life however the bugs and arbitrary hoops that you have to pass through in order to complete each level make it a punishing experience and one that more often than not wastes your time. The photos you have to take for the different animals in order to pass each level are quite obtuse, and it's not clear how you're meant to pass these successfully. You then end up spending lots…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →10/10 totally awesome masterpiece! i quit playing city builders a long time ago because i found they instill a cancerous infinite growth mentality that i object to. so i haven't been able to enjoy an isometric management game in years until now. also i disagree with people saying Terra Nil is not as replayable as city builders, because there seems to be a lot of randomization with things so every restoration is a little different.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Terra Nil is a game I have incredibly complicated feelings about, though I wouldn't go quite so far as to say I wish there was an option between yes and no for recommendation. I've followed the game since it was an Itch prototype and I've seen it grow and change. It used to be a charming lil pixel art game (albeit one that still had a lot of the gameplay annoyances of the current version). One day they announced they were pivoting to a more "ghibli inspired" art syle, which to me is a bit…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Taking the required photos at the end of a restoration has been pretty much impossible for me, especially for the forest animals. It's hard to get a decent picture of them and when I finally do, they're not "happy" enough? Even for a clear shot of a bear rolling around on the ground the happiness score wasn't high enough. Honestly, the rest of the playing experience has been decent but requiring photos before completing an area ruins the game for me.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pretty relaxing and also a nice strategy game where you have to relax to see the problem. 9/10 no bs, clean and entertaining.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Tonight we'll peek at Mythmatch and Little Chef: Cozy Cooking then jump into Collector's Cove. Tomorrow, back to Dinkum. Friday we'll check out a selection from the "pick a game for Ravvy" redeem: an environmental strategy game called Terra Nil. Saturday in BitCraft I'll work on gear upgrades. LIB💜
neutral · AI labelView post →Spent a couple of days playing a game called Terra Nil, sleeping a lot, and doing little else, and guess what I feel a bit better. I think games (certain ones anyways) are good for my brain.
positive · AI labelView post →A fun and calming puzzle game. Don't expect a city builder. PROS: - The whole concept of recovering wastelands feels really pleasing. - The art style is fantastic. Seriously, the game is so so pretty. - Lots of options to increase or decrease the difficulty. - Different ecosystems and buildings add an okay amount of variety. - Heatwave update added much needed extra content if you're buying full price. CONS: - Solutions can get tedious and easily soft lock you. Making you have to start all…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Game was an easy recommendation as a fun light puzzle game with a nice vibe. Fun, if way overpriced. But I simply cannot fathom how/why/what is up with the photo stars requirement. It softlocking maps makes them miserable. Cannot recommend. Couldn't even get a single star after scanning around in photo mode for minutes taking pictures of anything and everything. Cannot complete the map without photo stars. Not my idea of a good time. Why was this feature added? Edit: based on the trailer…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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